Orbit has undergone some changes, -a lot of them with many thanks to Ben Baugh. Here is the system:

2d10 That's it for dice, you'll need no more.All skill knowledge has four levels of capability: Familiar (x1), Competent (x1.5), Expert (x2), and Master (x3)Each multiplier (shown above) applies to the relative stat while using that particular skill: E.g., I am a Space Cowboy who is an expert Void Wrangler, so each time I use that skill (which depends on my Tech stat which is 17) I have a 34% chance of success because 17x2=34.

Successes are expressed as a Degrees of Success by comparing what you roll to the target number. The bigger the difference, the better your success. There are four degrees of success and they too correspond directly to the four degrees of skill knowledge.

Familiar 0 - 10 Competent 11 - 25 Expert 26 - 50 Master 51+

E.g., Bosh the Thug draws his plasma-pistol and blasts Gimble the Snitch. Bosh has a 44% chance to hit. The player rolls (29). The difference is 44-29=15. Bosh is an expert with small arms, but maybe his aim was off, or maybe Gimble heard the low whine of the cyclotronic plasma inductor as Bosh approached him, because a (15) success is within the competent range. Gimble takes (10)x1.5=15 points of searing hot plasma damage!

Additionally, all skills and Weapons have fixed success values, thus your degree of success multiplier also applies to the end result of an attempt.

As to the Orbit book itself, the table of Degrees of Success with multipliers shown is small and I have chosen to reprint it in the book in strategic locations for easy reference.

Much, much cleaner now - it includes all the "competence categories" that you wanted in the old system, it eliminates extra damage-dice steps (which I always dislike), and it permits plenty of sensible modifiers that don't require calculation.

How about improvement? Is the most common mode of improvement (a) changing the stats or (b) changing the competence level?

Hi Ron,Improvement can be made in both areas and it also no longer requires a point-spend system of player rewards. Points are 'spent' from a pool to generate a character right at the beginning, but that's the only time.

Everything else is role-played into fruition according to the character's personal goals.

Looking back, pretty awful. For the most part I had it written more like a sim type game than a role-play game. The crunchy bits that people (like the aforementioned Ben Baugh) enjoyed were smothered under a wargaming sim rule set. It was Ben who asked me the pivotal question that got me to dump the old system and design one to DO what I wanted Orbit to BE.

Looking back, pretty awful. For the most part I had it written more like a sim type game than a role-play game.

While I can't say I'm fond of sim games, I can see where ORBIT might have begun life in that format. Gotta start with the evolutionary slime before one starts making animals, you know. :)

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The crunchy bits that people (like the aforementioned Ben Baugh) enjoyed were smothered under a wargaming sim rule set. It was Ben who asked me the pivotal question that got me to dump the old system and design one to DO what I wanted Orbit to BE.

And I, and a whole bunch of other rpgers thank you for that. :)

Your comments above make me wish to one day see the "infant" form of the game.

I still have the first copy somewhere around here, complete with the ballpoint pen drawings. You can practically see the WH40k and AD&D vapor flowing off of it like a bad 80's metal music video.

hehe Yeah, but some of those metal music videos had great...well, never mind what great stuff they had. <g> I am pleased that you have the first copy somewhere, although would love to see a scanned ballpoint pen drawing at some point, perhaps on the website? I'm sure some other folks here would love to see some of the original drawings for the game. Perhaps in that lovely book we were talking about in private e-mail? <g>